Abstract: William Vere Cruess, a pioneer in food science and technology, spent his entire
career as a University of California, Berkeley faculty member. His research was instrumental in the
development of many practices in the field of food science including: mechanical fruit dehydration, the
use of fruits in the production of fruit juices and fruit beverages, and the use of freezing storage for
preservation of fruits and fruit products. Cruess also conducted important research on the principles of
wine making and olive processing. The William Vere Cruess Papers, which span the years 1915-1965,
contain writings, correspondence, memorabilia, and photographic materials related to his research in the
areas of food processing, food preservation, and wine making.

Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as
many are stored offsite.

Repository:
University of California, Davis. General Library. Department of
Special Collections.

Davis, California 95616-5292

Collection number: D-053

Language of Material: Collection materials in English.

Biography

William Vere Cruess was born on August 9, 1886 in San Miguel, California to William V. and Lucy M.
Withrow Cruess. He graduated with a B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of California in 1911.
In 1931 he received a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Stanford University.

Cruess spent his entire career working at the University of California, Berkeley, serving as an Assistant
in Zymology (1911-1914), as Professor of Fruit Products (1914-1934), and as Professor of Food Technology (1934-1954).

He began his work in food technology, under the direction of Professor Bioletti at the University of
California, Berkeley, through the investigation of several principles of wine-making. His research on
wine was halted in 1918 when the Prohibition Amendment was passed, but resumed when the 18th amendment
was repealed.

During the Prohibition years, Cruess turned his research efforts to the development of fruit products.
Cruess and his colleagues established the principles and specifications which led to mechanical fruit
dehydration as a method of overcoming the losses suffered by farmers from rain damage during sun drying.
Cruess was a pioneer in the development of the use of fruits in production of fruit juices and fruit
beverages and their bases (concentrates and syrups). He was one of the first investigators in the United
States to use freezing storage for preservation of fruits and fruit products.

Cruess also conducted a great deal of research on the bacteriological and chemical aspects of olive
processing. He introduced the successful production of fermented green olives in California and
investigated production problems and the development of new and improved olive products.

The William Vere Cruess Papers, which span the years 1915-1965, contain correspondence, writings, and
memorabilia, and photographic materials related to his research in the areas of food processing, food
preservation, and wine making.

Letters in the Correspondence series pertain mostly to two subjects: the publication of Cruess's book
Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Products and his 1923-1924 trip to Europe during which
he studied the olive industry in France, Spain, and Italy. The Works by Cruess series contains his
lecture notes as well as manuscripts and published versions of his writings. Manuscripts of his books:
Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Products and
The Principles and Practice of
Wine Making
are found in this series.

More than half of the collection is made up of photographic materials which focus on aspects of food
processing. Images of wine production and wineries as well as images of William Vere Cruess are also included.

The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley also holds the W.V. Cruess Papers (3
linear feet).

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online
public access catalog.

Cruess, W. V. (William Vere), 1886-1968--Archives.

University of California, Berkeley--Faculty--Archives

Canning and preserving

Olive--Preservation

Wine and wine making

Food--Preservation

Access

Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mrs. Marie Cruess in 1968.

Processing Information

Sara Gunasekara was assisted by Jenny Hodge in the processing of this collection.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William Vere Cruess Papers, D-053, Department of Special Collections, General
Library, University of California, Davis.

Publication Rights

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to
publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library,
University of California, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or
imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Collection Contents

Series 1
Correspondence1915-1965

Physical Description:
47 folders

Scope and Content Note

Arranged into three subseries: Incoming, Outgoing, and Third Party.

Subseries 1.1
Incoming1924-1959

Physical Description:
19 folders

Scope and Content Note

The bulk of the incoming correspondence pertains to the publication of Cruess's book
Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Products. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Box 1:1

Aguilo, Isidro1924 March 15

Box 1:2

American Optical Co.1956 November 15

Box 1:3

Bausch and Lomb Optical Co.1956 September 17

Scope and Content Note

Includes letter from Cruess to Bausch and Lomb Optical Co.

Box 1:4

Bolivar Packing Company1931 March 10

Box 1:5

Bolivar Packing Company 1931 March 12

Box 1:6

Victor Coq & Fils1924 April 3

Box 1:7

Gentry Serenader1959 January 19

Scope and Content Note

Includes letter from Gentry Serenader to Lindsay Ripe Olive Company, 1959 January 19, and
letter from Cruess to Gentry Serenader, 1959 January 26.

Box 1:8

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 March 14

Box 1:9

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 March 14

Box 1:10

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 August 14

Box 1:11

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 August 18

Box 1:12

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 August 29

Box 1:13

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 December 10

Box 1:14

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 December 23

Box 1:15

Sala, Ramonundated

Box 1:16

Wine Institute Technical Advisory Committee1955 August 23

Box 1:17

Unidentified1936 July 15

Box 1:18

Unidentifiedundated

Box 1:19

Unidentifiedundated

Subseries 1.2
Outgoing1915-1965

Physical Description:
25 folders

Scope and Content Note

A number of letters by Cruess to the California Olive Association recount his 1923-1924 trip
to Europe and his observations on the olive industry in France, Spain, and Italy.

Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Box 1:20

Aguilo, Isidro1924 May 17

Box 1:21

California Olive Association1923 October 21

Box 1:22

California Olive Association1923 October 30

Box 1:23

California Olive Association1923 November 23

Box 1:24

California Olive Association1923 November 25

Box 1:25

California Olive Association1923 December 15

Box 1:26

California Olive Association1923 December 22

Box 1:27

California Olive Association1924 January 1

Box 1:28

California Olive Association1924 January 27

Box 1:29

California Olive Association1924 February 8

Box 1:30

California Olive Association1924 April 2

Box 1:31

California Olive Association1965 December 8

Box 1:32

Canner/Packer1961 October 25

Box 1:33

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 February 26

Box 1:34

McGraw Hill Book Company1958 August 22

Box 1:35

Morse, Mrs. Warren M.1921 September 3

Box 1:36

Pacific Rural Press1924 January 5

Box 1:37

Pletcher, C.C.1917 October 23

Box 1:38

Simonds, Mr.1923 December 28

Box 1:39

Wickson, E. J.1917 July 9

Box 1:40

Williams, G. H.1915 August 8

Box 1:41

, Larry1964 January 15

Box 1:42

, Rolf1962 March 10

Box 1:43

Unidentifiedundated

Box 1:44

Unidentifiedundated

Subseries 1.3
Third Party1917-1955

Physical Description:
3 folders

Scope and Content Note

Arranged alphabetically by author.

Box 1:45

Brown, E. M. to Louis Martini1955 April 29

Box 1:46

Mrak, V.G. to Home Demonstration Agents of California 1946 June 22

Box 1:47

Pratt, M.B. to E.J. Wickson1917 October 27

Series 2
Works by Cruess1915-1965

Physical Description:
2 linear feet

Scope and Content Note

Arranged into three subseries: Manuscripts, Lecture Notes, and Published.

Subseries 2.1
Manuscripts1924-1965

Physical Description:
1 linear foot

Scope and Content Note

Contains manuscripts for several of Cruess's books including:
Commercial Fruit and
Vegetable Products
and
The Principles and Practice of Wine
Making.
Also included are manuscripts for a work titled, The fruits and other plants
of Hawaii. Manuscripts of many of Cruess's articles are also present in this subseries.

Minutes of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate1957 November 18

Box 8:26

Pacific Rural Press1930-1942

Box 8:27

Refrigerating Engineering1932 August

Box 9:1

Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Monograph Series1944-1955

Box 9:2

Wallerstein Laboratories Communications1942 April

Box 9:3

Western Canner and Packer1929 September; 1955 September

Box 9:4

Western Frozen Foods1940 May

Box 9:5

Wines and Vines1938 April

Series 6
Memorabilia1925-1965

Physical Description:
1.8 linear feet

Scope and Content Note

Arranged into two subseries: Awards and certificates and Medal and plaques.

Subseries 6.1
Awards and certificates1925-1965

Physical Description:
0.8 linear feet

Box 10:1

Academia Italiana Della Vite e del Vino1951 September

Box 9:6

American Academy of Microbiology1958 January 1

Box 9:7

American Association for the Advancement of Science1930 December 31

Box 9:8

American Association for the Advancement of Science1943 November 11

Box 9:9

American Society of Enologists1965 June 26

Box 10:2

American Society of Refrigerating Engineers1944 November 30

Box 9:10

Associates Food and Container Institute1948 December 30

Box 9:11

Associates Food and Container Institute, Research and Development1951 July 1

Box 9:12

The Babcock-Hart Award of the Institute of Food Technologists1955

Box 10:3

California Fig Institute1951 March 15

Box 10:4

California Raisin Advisory Boardundated

Box 10:5

Fresno County Farm Bureau1955 April 27

Box 9:13

Guinea Pig Clubundated

Box 9:14

Merite Agricole1932 August 25

Box 10:6

Merite Agricole1949

Box 9:15

New York Academy of Sciences1962 November 29

Box 9:16

Phi Tau Sigma Honorary Society1954 May 15

Box 9:17

Quartermaster Food and Container Institute for the Armed Forces1948 January

Box 10:7

Quartermaster General Military Planning Division1945 December 15

Box 9:18

Quartermaster Subsistence Research and Development Laboratoryundated

Box 10:8

United States Patent Office1925 April 7

Box 9:19

University of California, California Alumni Associationundated

Box 10:9

William V. Cruess Scholarship Fund1965

Box 9:20

Wine Institute1936 November 1

Subseries 6.2
Medal and Plaques1939-1959

Physical Description:
1 linear foot

Box 11

American Society of Enologists Plaque1956

Box 11

Forty Niners Service Award Plaque1959 February 20

Box 9:21

Golden Gate International Exposition, American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages, Medal1939

Series 7
Photographic Materials1915-1965

Physical Description:
9 linear feet

Scope and Content Note

Contains photographs, negatives, and some 35mm slides. The majority of the images focus on
various aspects of growing and processing fruits and vegetables.

Arranged into six subseries by subject: William V. Cruess, Food Science and Technology Building
at the University of California, Davis, Food processing, Travel, Wine production and wineries,
and Various.

Subseries 7.1
Cruess, William Vere1915-1965

Physical Description:
26 folders

Scope and Content Note

Contains images of William Vere Cruess.

Arranged alphabetically.

Box 12:1

Cruess at a dinner with Stanley Freeborn and M. Copley1953

Physical Description:
1 print, 1 negative

Box 12:2

Cruess at two different dinner eventsundated

Physical Description:
2 prints

Box 12:3

Cruess demonstrating the manufacture of grape juice to students at the University
Farm, Davis?
1915 November 1

Physical Description:
4 prints

Box 34:1

Cruess demonstrating the manufacture of grape juice to students at the University
Farm, Davis?
1915 November 1

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 34:2

Cruess demonstrating the manufacture of grape juice to students at the University Farm?1915 November 1

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 12:4

Cruess in a group photograph of the California Olive Association1926 May 20

Physical Description:
1 print

Box 12:5

Cruess in a group photograph of the California Olive Association1938 May 27

Physical Description:
1 print

Box 12:6

Cruess in front of unidentified buildingundated

Physical Description:
1 print

Box 12:7

Cruess in Hawaii?undated

Physical Description:
7 prints

Box 12:8

Cruess in his study?undated

Physical Description:
1 print, 1 negative

Box 12:9

Cruess in laboratoryundated

Physical Description:
3 prints, 1 negative

Box 34:3

Cruess in laboratoryundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 34:4

Cruess in laboratoryundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 34:5

Cruess in laboratoryundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 12:10

Cruess in laboratory performing grape juice testsundated

Physical Description:
1 print

Box 34:6

Cruess in laboratory performing grape juice testsundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 34:7

Cruess in laboratory performing olive pickling experimentsundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 34:8

Cruess in laboratory preparing pure wine yeastundated

Physical Description:
1 glass plate negative

Box 12:11

Cruess in posed photograph with a scrapbook; Cruess with unidentified man1965

Contains photographs and negatives of the construction of the Food Science and Technology
Building on the Davis campus. On March 19, 1960 the Food Science and Technology Building was
named in honor of William Vere Cruess.

Subseries 7.3
Food processing1915-1957

Physical Description:
6 linear feet

Scope and Content Note

Contains images of different aspects of food processing, from harvesting to production. The
majority of the images focus on fruits and vegetables. Arranged alphabetically by food or
piece of equipment.